Elina Psykou, Nikola Ležaić Set New Projects for Sarajevo Co-Production Forum

variety.com:

Christopher Vourlias New films from Tribeca prize winner Elina Psykou, Sarajevo winner Nikola Ležaić and the producers behind the upcoming Venice Horizons premiere “The Happiest Man in the World” are among the projects selected for the Sarajevo Film Festival’s CineLink Co-Production Market, the leading financing forum in Southeast Europe.This year marks the 20th edition of the influential co-production market, which has launched films such as László Nemes’ Academy Award winner “Son of Saul,” Adina Pintilie’s Golden Bear winner “Touch Me Not” and Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir Stefanov’s Oscar nominee “Honeyland.” Nine new feature film projects from the region currently in development will be presented to industry guests, along with seven new dramatic series in the event’s Drama strand.

The carefully curated selection is among the smallest for a major regional market. That allows the organizers to begin working with the chosen filmmakers months in advance, employing script doctors and matchmakers “to really help them find relevant partners for their projects…[and] identify what their actual needs are,” said Sarajevo’s head of industry, Maša Marković.For the first time, the event this year will be handing out the Female Voices CineLink Award to one project in development participating in the CineLink Co-Production or Drama strands, with an aim to support and promote female voices in the Southeast European film industry.

The lineup is already admirably diverse: the 16 projects hail from 15 countries, with women attached as directors or producers to all but three productions.“It’s a dynamic selection of projects,” Marković said. “Quite a lot center on the question of identity.